Old stuff 1/19
The designer of my first car: a Fiat 124 Spider. His designs have inspired me
http://www.tom-tjaarda.net/
Renowned automotive designer Tom Tjaarda
Born in 1934 in Detroit, Michigan, Tom Tjaarda had automotive design in his blood. His father was automotive designer Joop ‘Jan’ Tjaarda van Starkenberg, who changed his name to John Tjaarda when he came to the United States in 1923. One of the senior Tjaarda’s designs was the very streamlined Lincoln Zephyr of 1935. Already a young talent in high school, Tom took second place in the General Motors Craftmen’s Guild competition for the construction of a model car. After graduation, he went to the University of Michigan to study architecture.
Tom’s ability was recognized in college and he was introduced to Luigi Segre (Ghia) by a professor. After graduating with a degree in Architecture, he promptly went to work in Italy. He has since had a long and illustrious career working for Italian automotive manufacturers and design houses such as Ghia, Pininfarina, Ital Styling (later renamed Italdesign) and Fiat. He still lives in Turin, Italy. Mr. Tjaarda is probably most well known for his designs of the DeTomaso Pantera, Ferrari 365 GT California Spider, Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 and Fiat 124 Spider. These iconic designs have made him very popular with Italian car enthusiasts in the United States, where Mr. Tjaarda is invited to attend the most prestigious cars shows in the capacity of honored guest or respected concours judge.
Although acclaimed for his I-car designs, Tom has also worked on designs or concept cars for VW, Mercedes, Chevrolet, Ford, Isuzu, Saab, Chrysler, Suzuki and others. Some of his most recent work is the recently unveiled Shelby Series 2, a redesign of the Shelby Series 1. More information on Tom Tjaarda and his designs can be seen at www.tom-tjaarda.net.
ItalianCarFest is a weekend gathering of Italian cars and two-wheelers in Grapevine, Texas (near Dallas/Fort Worth). This year’s show will feature a special area to visit with Tom Tjaarda and view some of the cars he designed. Included in this area will be a DeTomaso Pantera, Fiat 124 Spider, Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 and DeTomaso Longchamp GTS.
TOM TJAARDAhttp://www.italiaspeed.com/2006/events/italiancarfest_texas/preview/tom_tjaarda_1.jpghttp
